Speed-indicator.



PATENTED JAN, 7, 1908. 0. R. BENTON.

SPEED INDICATOR. APPLIQATION TILED HAILQO, 1907- A TTORNE CECIL R. BENTON, OF VERGENNES, VERMONT.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

Specificatioqpf Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

. Application filed March CO. 1907. Serial No. 363.469.

To all all om it may concern:

Be it known. that l. (new it. lhas'ron, oi the city of Vergennes, Addison county, State of Vermont, have invented :1. new and useful linprowemont in Spoorl-lndicators, of which the following: is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in speed indicators, and the ob ect. of my invcntion is to produce a sim plo, cil'ectivo, and reliable device of this kind, which. can be used on automobiles, or can he used in connection with any rotary shaft or other moving device, to indicate speed.

i In carrying out my invention, I use a tor- .sion 'coil spring as an operative connection between 9. )art of the mechanism and the indicating 'evice, and arrange the spring so that itsvariations of tension will he nicely and accurately indicated, and i also construct and arrange the parts so that the tension of the spring increases with the speed, and therefore'by measuring the variations of tension, I measure the speed and indicate it. There are a number of mechanical ways in winch this idea can be carried out practically, and therefore I do not imit myself to particular details of construction, but show a'practical means of carrying the in vention into effect.

With these ends in View, iny invention consists, of certain features of construction and con'ibinations of parts which. will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawing forming a art of this spcoification in which similar igures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1' is a vertical sectional elevation of the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line of Fig. i. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3.3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section of a means foripumping air to the operating cylinder,

Fig. 5 is a detail of apart of the means for transmitting movement to the indicator, and Fig. i is longitudinal sectional elevation of a modified form oi the device.

The structure should be provided with a suitable casing 10, which can be c any ap proved design, and as shown. this is supported on a base 11, and has a transparent top 12, through which the indicator can he read. On the base is a cylinder 13, which has a nipple 14 adapted to connect with a rubber hose or other Iillif, and in this c '\'li'n- (ill works a reciproczuizu piston lfrwhich, through the medium of the pitinnn ili. operales the mechanism to lmliorcal'tcr dcscrihcll.

The operating uu-chzlnisin and indicator can be actuated in any suitable operative way, as will presently appear. but I find a coi'ivenicnt way is to use the reciprocating piston 15 and operate it by air pcrssure, although this is not essential to the invention. Where this is done, however, i. can conveniently use some sort of pump, and the pump shown in Fig. 4 answers the. purpose. .llcrc a disk 17 is driven from a frictional connection with some HiOVlIlg part, as with tho end oi" a shaft, and it turns a crank shaft 13 contained in a? suitablehousing is, and through the pitinan 20 operates the. plunger 21, which works in i 22, and which constitutes an ordinary air pump The nipple provides for connectmg with a pipe.

Fig. 4'. is shown. on a reduced scale, but the pump should he of a size amply large enough to operate the piston 15, already referred to. It will be noticed that every strokeof the piston 21 will supply air to the piston 15, and at each impulse this piston. will rise and will conimunicate its motion to the rocker arm 24 (see Fig. 1) which arm is carried by the shaft 25, and has at one end a set screw 26, which by abutting with the plate 27 a beneath, limits the movement of the arm, and causes the ratchet wheel 30, to he presently described, to, he moved a distance of one tooth only.

l no cylinder which is pivoted a pawl 28, and this normally pressed b a spring 29 into engagement with a rate let wheel 30, which is shown clearly in Figs. 1 andZ, and which carries a shaft 31, which in turn is journaled in a sleeve or'bcaring 32, and the latter is mount ed on a framework 32. The ratchet Wheel is prevented'i rom turning back by a detent 28. The shaft 3]. has a flange at one end, in which. is held the pin at, which forms a convenient means of attaching to the shaft one end of the torsion coil spring 35, which at its other end is attached to the gear Wheel 36. This has an elongated hearing or sleeve 37, Which is jour'naled on the outer side of the bearing 32, and'so motion will be transmitted to the gear wheel 36, through the. resilient pressure of the spring 35. The gear wheel 36 meshes with a pinion 38, forming a part of an escapement 39, which is of the conventional evne. This shows e shel 40, dri en by Q 1 on, wh h has pinion 38, and mounted in the 7 and e standard -11. il he short 20 on escopemenl; wheel which is r bythe common form pellet a. she shaft 424 w ich is ournoled i. 32 and 41, e d which has n b One end i' 4 45, wlz "h carriesrbe r llcr 1.1" illIf on i its surface, and this roller journelcd on one l end of the benterm 4 through which pus l the reduced end of the shaft this moving ongitudinelly =1 the hollow end of ire lie-fl. 3,1, olrendy referred to; will be seen thei es the sl'roifl; 31 is burned, it will transmit motion to the gear 36, solely through the sprir ,7 the sbzu ls la T3 rill oscillate the balance 35,1ind that i-lLG To isreturded it wheel 77, and toe oscillation of this heavy movement by the escnpenient 32'). or equiv win will serve to retard the gem 36 lent returding m ens, the tension on the will be observed thut the principle is spring will be slight during a slow movccxucrbv the some in this srructurc us in the ment, but will increase with the increase of other iiguremnnd fillet ineitller cesel heessenspeed in the shaft 31. As this speed inrial thing is to have the speed iZPEJLiIDlSSlOEE. creases, the relative position of lhe sliuft 31 through rho torsion spring, and to measure and the gear whee 36 changes, as the shaft the variation oitcnslon in the advances for a lime faster than die gear 1 The drawings show pro cl moons of wheel, and this advance movement gives in i measuring this 3' rizr'tion ol spring tension, creased tension to the springund as will presand, stated, I do not limit myself to the ently appear, I measure this increase of tenprecise construction shown, although 1 claim sion. In other words, the outward movcllle structure in the main as n feature of the ment of the shaft 49 increases regularly with invention. In such :1 str cturc, some means the increased speed of the shaft 31, and I for retnrding the port driven by the spring is ut-ilizr \is fact Lonmlrc the port -15) o ierntencccssury, and I claim any retarding means reliably 5:. suitable indicutor. Obviously this for this )urposc, and particularly the stopcnnbe done in several ways, but the simplest ping and starting of a he: member as a and I believe the best, is to actuate the balance WllCCl. crank: 50 by the movement of v the shaft 4:9, Having thus fully describ my invention, and so turn the vert lcul shaft 5} which is curl claim new and desire to secure by etters ried by the crank 51). This shall: 51 is jouu Patent-2 nnled in suitable supports on the standard 52 l. A speed. indicator cornm'ising a rotary end it is held ugninst the shaft ll) by n spring member having means for driving, it, a second 53. The shofh 51. carries s segmental gear member, a torsion spring connecting the two 54 (see Fig. 2)) which meshes with tne vinmembers and driving the second member, ion 55 on the stud 56, which is mounte on means for retarding the spring driven mema part of the frame 32, and the stud 56 ber, e recip ocating membcramoved by the carries a hand or indicator 57, which moves spring-Vern lulu-cud an ope ntivc connection over a plate lying below the glass 12. This between the said reciprocating member and plate can be marked oil in nnv of the usual anindicntor. ways, so that the speed would be indicated 2. A speed indicator com rising a rotary on it by reason of the bond or indicator 57. member having means for (living it, a see- In Fig. 6 I have shown unothor means of 0nd rotary men'iber, o torsion spring conmeasuring speed by the variation of torsion nection betwc the two IllllflbGlS, means in the spring, to show that I am not limit-ed for retarding" he spring driven member, a to one particular way of carrying out this reciprocating member, cam actuated means idea. As here shown, instead of using air for moving the reciprocating member from pressurelnse s'rworm 60,whichcan bedriven the spring driven member, and means for in any usual way, and this meshes with 0, operating an indicator from the reciprocat- Wornr-wheel 59, which is mounted in suitable in member. bearings 61, on 11 supporting frame The 5. A s )ecd indicator comprising a rotary worm wl'ieel 59 connects "with the torsion memlmr liming menus for driving it, a seccoil spring 35, like the spring 35, already de cud rotary member, a, torsion wing connectscribed, and the other endol" the spring con- 5 in the two members and dri. 1;; one from nects with :1 gear wheel 36, which has a cyll the other, means for re Jnrding the spring inde1 63 on one end, and a. shaft 64 utthe driven ncmber, an indicator, and an operaother, the shaft turning in suitable bearings tivc connection between the indicator and so as to support the Wheel 36. Within the the spring driven. member.

n once! i listen 0 out, connec s ornnl-r 7:3 connecting 0y :1 pitmnn 17%) ff ivelv eevv lyunnce wheel 77 on "/6, '51ssl'rnl'rs and 7S ere mounted in iihe frame ":2. will be ob scr "ed H be crenl: connection beiween 4. A speed indicator comprising a rotary member, a second rotary member, a torsion spring connecting the two members, means for retarding the spring driven member, a reciprocating member, an operative connection between the reciprocating member and the spring driven member, and an indicator operated from the reciprocating member.

5. A speed indicator comprising a rotary shaft having means for driving it, a gear Whcei loosely journaied on the shaft, a torsion spring driving the gear wheel from the shaft, retarding means connected with the wheel, a reciprocating shaft mounted in the end of the first mentioned shaft, means for moving the reciprocating shaft from the spring driven gear wheel, and an indicator operated from the reciprocating shaft.

6. A speed indicator comprising a shaft, a ratchet mechanism for driving it, a gear wheel, a retarding mechanism connected with thigear wheel, a torsion spring driving the gear wheel from the shaft, a reciprocating member, means for moving the reciprocating member from the gear wheel, and an indicator operated by the reciprocating member.

7. in a device ofthe hind described, the combination with the njntin shaft, of a re tarding device the gear wheel geared to the retarding device, a cam o Jerat'cd from the gear wheel, a shaft mover by the cam, an

indicator, and an operative connection between the last mentioned shaft and the indicator.

' 8. The combination with the indicator operating mechanism, of a cylinder and piston, means for operating the piston, and a pawl and ratchet connection between the piston and the indicator mechanism.

9. In a speed indicator; the combination with the recessed driving shaft and the loose gearwheel thereon, of a cam turning with the gear wheel, a retarding device connected with the gear wheel, a sliding shaft moving in the main shaft, a sliding arm connected with the sliding shaft and working in the recess in the main shaft, a connection between the sliding arm and the aforesaid cam, an indicator, and means for operating the indicator from the sliding shaft.

10. A speed indicator having movable parts connected by a torsion spring, one of said parts bcing moved by the spring, an oscillating member, an escapement controlling the oscillating member and connected with the spring moved member, and means for indicating the variation of tension in the spring.

CECIL R; BENTON.

Witnesses: I

WAnnnn B. Pln'ronmson, WILLIAM S. Dawson. 

